1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns printed advertising inserts which include a detachable return postcard. The insert hereof includes a first sheet and a reduced sized second sheet joined together at a portion of each, the second sheet including a detachable postcard portion which may be severed from the remainder along a single line of weakness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The advertising of various articles and services often includes "free standing inserts" which are advertising pieces normally delivered to intended customers by inserting the piece in a newspaper or other similar carrier publication delivered to the consumer. The success of the advertising campaign is directly dependent on the cost and the response rate. Thus, maximum efficiency for any campaign is a function of minimizing expense and maximizing the response rate. The use of postcards which are prefranked and commonly marked as "Business Reply Mail" has been found to promote responses while keeping costs to a minimum.
An advertising insert piece may include the return postcard as an integral part thereof. This makes it easy for the recipient to write in a response and detach the postcard while retaining the balance of the piece which includes the advertising message.
A number of ways have been explored for presenting advertising materials including a return postcard. U.S. Pat. No. 1,957,374 to Unger discloses an advertising device which includes a separable postcard overlying a blotter portion. The postcard includes several lines of weakness and forms part of a backing sheet which is co-extensive with the underlying blotter portion.
Another approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,455 to Lichter, which discloses a mailing circular where the return postcard is created from relatively thin paper stock by folding over one layer of the paper to provide the necessary stiffness and rigidity for the card and paper to provide the necessary stiffness and rigidity for the card and separable by perforations or other means defining a weakening line. The overlying layers making up the postcard are thus entirely detached.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,246 to Norman discloses a business form with a tear out postcard. The business form includes two plies of material of the same shape and size, the plies being joined around their peripheries only. The postcard portion is enclosed within the peripheries of one of the co-extensive plies and requires several lines of weakness to separate.
There has developed a need for a more economical advertising insert which costs less to manufacture, presents a severable return postcard and is easy to use. The desired advertising insert must have an impact on the recipient and be readily adapted to inclusion in a newspaper as a free standing insert.